Sheikh Seedia Ceesay, a noted Islamic scholar, who is the Deputy Imam of the State House Mosque has said that scholars of 'Hambaly' termed Female Circumcision as a very good practice and in fact a major one.
Sheikh Seedia Ceesay who is also the assistant principal of the Talinding Islamic Institute under Gambia Islamic Union made these remarks last Friday during his sermons at the State House Mosque. He said that the Holy Prophet (SAW) used it as way of describing as and when purification is compulsory.
According to Sheikh Ceesay, Prophet (SAW) did not use one circumcised part to describe it but rather the two i.e. male and female and asserted that husband should force his wife to be circumcised equally as he used to force her to pray.
He said the history of the practice as to when it actually started and is not precisely known. He added that yet it is clear that it was generally practiced in all nations in the world. He said some scholars stated that the practice started as far back as the generation of Adam the father of human race. He said the practice was however abandoned by his children as time went on after him. Then the practice was revived by the father of Prophet, Ibraham by Allah's order. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said that circumcision is a Sunnah for male and a honour or generosity for female i.e. adding that many scholars who says that circumcision is compulsory includes, Ash-shafae, Ahmad, Hambal, Ata a, Al-Awzae, Shanoon Minal Malikia and Ibn Abbas a well known sahaba i.e. a companion of the Holy Prophet (SAW).
According to Sheikh Ceesay FGM practice on females is an honour and therefore cannot be rejected by any pure Muslims and it is only so-call Muslims who will reject it for their own financial needs.
"Scholars of the World all agreed that female circumcision is a Sunnah and an honour, generosity, respect and a measure of control of their sexual desire for men," Sheikh Ceesay expressed.
He maintained that FGM has been going on long ago and no harm has ever been attributed to it and cautioned that why then is it possible now when we claimed yet to be in high science and technology and therefore attributing harms to it which has never happened before.
He said five things are fitrah in hadith which means Sunnah narrated by Bukhari and Muslims namely, circumcision, shaving of genetically parts, shaving of mustache, cutting of nails and shaving of hair of the armpits.
Sheikh Ceesay revealed that Umul Atiya (MPBWH) a female circumciser during the time of the prophet (SAW) was advised to cut a small part of it and not all because it makes the wife beautiful and makes the husband happy about the wife therefore if female are circumcised it will go a long way in preventing adultery and prostitution in our Islamic society.
"If FGM is not permitted in Islam, prophet (SAW) would have condemned it straight as he did in the case of polytheism because he never compromised in religion and never talk on his own desire by the testimony of the Quran and that he never kept quite on harmful things that will be burden to Islam or human race at large," he said.
He quoted Ibn Abbas who reported to have said that "there is no valid Hajj or prayers for uncircumcised males and female".
He also said that Imam Malik says that uncircumcised persons should not lead prayers nor testify or witness court cases and animals slaughtered by such persons should not be eaten by Muslims.
"Finally, I am appealing to all good Muslims to hold fast to their religion, Islam, in good and faithful manner and keep away from those enemies to it," he said.
